All That Jazz at Café Carlyle

On Tuesday, September 5, jazz legends and husband-and-wife duo Herb Alpert and Lani Hall kicked off their two-week residency at Café Carlyle.

The intimate evening began with a rendition of “What Now, My Love?” before Alpert told the crowd that he wanted the show to feel interactive.

“Café Carlyle is up close and personal. I love the feeling,” said Alpert in a pre-show interview. The one suggestion that was not entertained, however, were song requests, as Alpert good-naturedly turned down more than one audience song solicitation. The two did, however, veer from the set list. In the spontaneous spirit of jazz, they added in “Moondance” and “The Guy’s in Love with You,” among other selections. The evening also featured a medley of tunes from Alpert’s days with the Tijuana Brass; and Hall’s time with the group Brasil ’66.

Among those in attendance were journalist Bill Moyers and wife Judith Suzanne Davidson and photographer Jonathan Becker.

The evening featured Alpert on trumpet and vocals; Hall on vocals, Bill cantos on piano; Hussain Jiffry on bass; and Michael Shapiro on drums. Alpert and Hall have been married for over 40 years, and Alpert noted that they easily play off of each other when on stage. In the recording studio, “she has no problem being honest,” he revealed. The two met while she was the lead singer for Sérgio Mendes & Brasil ’66. The band signed a contract with A&M Records, a label started by Alpert and Jerry Moss. Lucky for those in New York right now, the rest was history.

Herb Alpert and Lani Hall will play at Café Carlyle from Tuesday, September 5 through Saturday, September 16. For tickets and additional information, visit rosewoodhotels.com.